DEMOCRACY in the Public Space

Democracy in the Public Space › Archive

ARCHIVE

Exploring the evolution of democratic discourse through our past lecture series

SPRING 2025

BEING AMERICAN

An exploration of American identity, citizenship, and belonging through constitutional frameworks and historical perspectives, examining separation of powers, checks and balances, immigration policies, and the Fourteenth Amendment.

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6 MAR

HOW GOVERNMENT WORKS: SEPARATION OF POWERS AND CHECKS AND BALANCES

Eva Mo, Eileen Kerr & Hans Hauselmann

Professors of History

In this talk, history faculty explain why U.S. democracy depends on separation of powers, checks and balances, and “We the People” enforcing them. They outline the roles of Congress (laws, spending, oversight), the president (execute laws, commander-in-chief, executive orders), and the courts (judicial review). Using Indian Removal as a failure and Watergate as a success, they stress that institutions must resist overreach. The discussion connects these ideas to current worries about executive orders, federal agencies, and civic action.

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19 MAR

CONTINUITY AND CHANGE IN IMMIGRATION POLICIES

Eileen Kerr

Professor of History

This lecture explores the history of U.S. immigration as a cycle of welcome and rejection. Professor Eileen Kerr traces three major immigration waves, highlighting how labor needs fueled migration while prejudice fueled restriction. She examines anti-immigrant racism, eugenics, exclusion laws, deportations, and reform efforts from the 1800s to today. The talk argues that immigration debates reflect recurring fears, political polarization, and America’s ongoing struggle to uphold constitutional principles and due process.

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28 MAR

AN EVENING WITH DOLORES HUERTA

Facilitated by Olga Castaneda

Research Librarian

Dolores Huerta is a pioneering labor leader and civil rights activist who co-founded the United Farm Workers alongside César Chávez. A skilled organizer and negotiator, she played a central role in major farmworker strikes and was arrested 22 times for nonviolent protest. Through the Dolores Huerta Foundation, she continues advocating for workers, immigrants, women, and children. A recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Huerta remains a powerful voice for social justice and democratic action.

Dolores Huerta event photo
2 APR

THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT: A DISCUSSION ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP AND ITS PROMISE

Eva Mo & Marvin Jackson

Professors of History

This lecture examines birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment. Professors Eva Mo and Marvin Jackson trace its roots from English common law through Dred Scott, Chinese Exclusion, Wong Kim Ark, and Japanese internment. They argue citizenship is a constitutional right, not a privilege, though historically challenged. The discussion connects past racial exclusions to current executive order debates, emphasizing civic action and democratic responsibility.

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22 APR

AN EVENING WITH DR. ANGELA DAVIS

Dr. Angela Davis with Eva Mo

Author, Educator, and Activist

Angela Davis is a scholar, activist, and educator whose work centers on economic, racial, and gender justice. She has taught at numerous universities, including UC Santa Cruz, where she is Distinguished Professor Emerita. Author of nine books, Davis focuses on mass incarceration and the prison industrial complex, drawing on her own experience as a former political prisoner. A founding member of Critical Resistance, she advocates for prison abolition and calls for greater investment in education over incarceration.

Angela Davis event photo
FALL 2024

DEMOCRACY IN ACTION

A timely exploration of democratic participation in practice, examining California propositions, government and civics, voting mechanics, political philosophy, and the personal motivations behind civic engagement.

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30 SEPT

DECODING THE CA PROPOSITIONS

Jennie Sweeney & Stella Beratlis

League of Women Voters, Stanislaus County; Modesto Junior College Librarian

This event featured the League of Women Voters of Stanislaus County presenting a nonpartisan overview of California’s ballot propositions. Speakers explained how to evaluate measures and summarized bond proposals (Props 2 and 4), constitutional amendments (Props 3, 5, 6), and initiatives addressing minimum wage (Prop 32), rent control (Prop 33), prescription drug revenues (Prop 34), Medi-Cal funding (Prop 35), and theft and drug penalties (Prop 36). The goal was to provide balanced information to help students become informed, engaged voters.

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7 OCT

GOVERNMENT & CIVICS

Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye

President/CEO Public Policy Institute of California and Former Chief Justice of California

This lecture features former California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, now president of the Public Policy Institute of California, speaking on democracy and civic engagement. Drawing from her experience in all three branches of government, she emphasizes that democracy depends on participation, respectful disagreement, and informed debate grounded in data. She reflects on her journey from community college to public leadership, discusses education, housing, climate, and equity challenges in California, and encourages students to pursue hard work, civic involvement, and public service to strengthen democratic institutions.

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Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye event photo
14 OCT

HOW VOTING WORKS

Donna Linder

Clerk-Recorder, Registrar of Voters, Commissioner of Civil Marriages

This lecture features Stanislaus County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters Donna Linder explaining how local elections are conducted. She details candidate filing, ballot design, multilingual translation, logic and accuracy testing, vote-by-mail processing, signature verification, ballot sorting, counting, audits, and recount procedures. Linder emphasizes security measures, transparency, and nonpartisanship, describing strict chain-of-custody protocols and offline counting systems. She also discusses voter turnout, rare instances of fraud, ballot curing, and why close elections show every vote truly matters.

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21 OCT

LIBERAL & CONSERVATIVE: WHAT DO THESE MEAN?

Bill Anelli

Professor of Philosophy

In this lecture Prof. Bill Anelli described the differences between liberal and conservative politics.

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28 OCT

WHY I VOTE

Student and Community Panel

Panel Discussion

This panel features student leaders discussing why civic participation matters. They reflect on voting as both a right and responsibility, shaped by history, identity, and community impact. The conversation explores political pressure, social media misinformation, media literacy, and respectful disagreement. Panelists emphasize research, critical thinking, and dialogue beyond election season, encouraging students to see voting not just as a ballot cast, but as an expression of voice, values, and shared democratic responsibility.

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SPRING 2024

DEMOCRACY IS A VERB!

Democracy as active practice rather than passive concept, examining how activism works, addressing local crises like fentanyl, and celebrating tomorrow's activists today.

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4 MAR

HOW ACTIVISM WORKS

Sandra Celedon

CEO Fresno Building Healthy Communities

In this lecture, Sandra Celedon, President and CEO of Fresno Building Healthy Communities, discussed how “democracy is a verb” and requires active civic engagement. Drawing from campaigns on parks funding, transportation reform, environmental justice, and healthcare access, she illustrated how organizing, research, coalition-building, and policy advocacy can create lasting change. Her message emphasized that activism begins with personal values and grows through collaboration, persistence, and strategic action.

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18 MAR

MIKVA! DEMOCRACY IS A VERB

Steve Miller & Eva Mo

Professor of Political Science; Professor of History

In this event, faculty introduced the theme “Democracy is a verb,” urged students to engage beyond voting, and previewed a short film on Abner Mikva’s lifelong activism and youth civic leadership. They emphasized that activism is difficult, long-term work—often requiring persistence across generations—then invited students to write a “Mikva Challenge” commitment: one concrete political action they will take before the November election.

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25 MAR

ADDRESSING LOCAL ISSUES: FENTANYL

Talitha Agan

Focus on Prevention, Stanislaus County Opioid Safety Coalition, Instructor of History

This campus event focused on the fentanyl crisis in Stanislaus County, combining student research, public health data, and personal testimony. Speakers explained what fentanyl is, how it is often hidden in counterfeit pills and other drugs, and shared alarming national and local overdose statistics. A family member described losing her 14-year-old sister to fentanyl poisoning, emphasizing that it can affect anyone. Presenters also highlighted harm reduction, community response programs, campus health resources, and provided Narcan training to empower students to save lives.

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1 APR

TOMORROW'S ACTIVISTS, TODAY

MJC Student Activists

Panel Discussion

This panel featured current and former MJC students sharing their journeys into activism. Panelists discussed how family, identity, and lived experience shaped their commitment to issues like gun control, tobacco policy, education reform, voting rights, and cultural representation. They emphasized that activism can take many forms—from research and campus organizing to public comment and mentorship. The discussion highlighted resilience, community support, faculty mentorship, and balancing academics with advocacy. Their central message: start small, stay informed, seek mentorship, and remember that everyday voices matter in building democratic change.

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FALL 2023

HOUSING INEQUITY: A LOCAL HISTORY

A critical examination of housing policy, inequality, and environmental justice through local and historical lenses, exploring redlining, segregation, and the ongoing housing crisis in our community.

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28 SEPT

HISTORY OF HOUSING POLICY & INEQUALITY

Sharon & Dave Froba

Modesto Peace/Life Center

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28 SEPT

HISTORY OF HOUSING POLICY & INEQUALITY

Dr. José R. Díaz-Garayúa

Associate Professor of Geography, CSU Stanislaus

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9 OCT

OUR HOUSING CRISIS: LOCAL LEADERS WEIGH IN

Kristen Doud, Joe Duran, Carol Ornelas, Supervisor Vito Chiesa

Deputy Director Stanislaus County Planning Department; Executive Director and CFO, Stanislaus Equity Partners; Developer, Visionary Home Buildings; Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors, Dist. 2

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16 OCT

LOCAL HOUSING & ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Guest Lecturer

Title, Organization

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23 OCT

HOUSING INEQUITY: A LOCAL HISTORY

Eileen Kerr & Eva Mo

Professors of History, Modesto Junior College

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Event Photo
30 OCT

COLOR OF LAW: A CLOSE READING

Chandra Howard

Professor of English, Modesto Junior College

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16 NOV

REDLINED: CITIES, SUBURBS, SEGREGATION - AN EVENING WITH RICHARD ROTHSTEIN

Richard Rothstein

Author and Housing Policy Expert

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Rothstein Photo
SPRING 2023

RECLAIMING HERSTORY

Centering women's voices, bodies, and leadership in democratic spaces, exploring sociology, legal history, performance, and contemporary public life through feminist perspectives.

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6 MAR

WOMEN'S BODIES

Melanie Berra

Professor of Sociology, MJC

In this Women’s History Month lecture, Sociology Professor Melanie Baroo presented “Domestic Violence 101,” explaining abuse as a societal issue rooted in power and control rather than isolated incidents. She outlined the cycle of violence—honeymoon, tension-building, and explosion—along with emotional, financial, sexual, and medical abuse. Emphasizing survivor resilience, she challenged victim-blaming questions like “Why do you stay?” and highlighted barriers to leaving, local resource shortages, and the need for community support, education, and compassionate advocacy.

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13 MAR

IN ROE'S WAKE

Eva Mo & Eileen Kerr

Professors of History, MJC

This lecture traces the history of abortion rights from English common law to the 2022 Dobbs decision. Professors Kerr and Mo argue that early American law, rooted in quickening, recognized women’s authority to end pregnancies before fetal movement. They examine how 19th-century medicalization, Victorian gender norms, racism, and nationalism criminalized abortion, then explore Roe v. Wade’s restoration of privacy-based rights. Concluding with Dobbs, they highlight modern political mobilization, state-level bans, and growing legal uncertainty surrounding reproductive rights.

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20 MAR

UNBOUGHT

CORE Ensemble

Performance

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27 MAR

WOMEN IN PUBLIC LIFE

Aishah Saleh, Dr. Andrea Wilson, Marian Kaanon, Wendy Byrd, Sue Zwahlen

Academic Senate President, MJC; VP, Student Services, MJC; CEO, Stanislaus Community Foundation; President, Modesto/Stanislaus NAACP; Mayor of Modesto

At this Women’s History Month panel, Hans Hauselmann introduced local women leaders and guided a conversation on why people lead, how mentorship and relationships shape leadership, and what barriers—especially gendered and racialized expectations—still limit participation. Panelists emphasized encouragement, accountability, diverse networks, and “servant leadership,” urging students to use their voices publicly, ask “why” in rooms of power, accept failure as growth, and focus on what they are for as they build a more representative, responsive community.

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FALL 2022

DEMOCRACY AND THE PUBLIC SPACE

The inaugural series examining fundamental democratic processes and civic participation, exploring gerrymandering, voting mechanics, public service, and the roles of elected officials in our democratic system.

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10 OCT

GERRYMANDERING

Steve Miller

Political Science Professor, MJC

Prof. Steve Miller, political science instructor at MJC, asked whether democracy can still unite a deeply divided country, noting broad public support for democratic ideals but low turnout locally. Using Hannah Arendt, John Lewis, and the Constitution, he framed democracy as active participation, freedom, equal political voice, and accountability. He then explained partisan gerrymandering—packing and cracking—through North Carolina and Maryland examples, showing how map-drawing can dilute votes. He closed by asking whether gerrymandering violates democracy or is simply part of democratic politics.

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17 OCT

VOTING & ELECTIONS

Donna Linder

Stanislaus County, Registrar of Voters

Stanislaus County’s elections official, Donna Linder, explained how vote-by-mail works locally, what happens to ballots after they arrive, and how the canvass and audits verify results. She described returning ballots by mail, drop box, or any vote center, plus tracking tools and common errors that can delay counting. The talk highlighted security measures—signature checks, two-person adjudication, sealed chain of custody, public observation, and paper trails—to build trust and encourage participation.

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24 OCT

PUBLIC SERVICE

Melissa Santos

District Representative for Congressman Josh Harder

Melissa Santos described her path from canvasser to regional coordinator overseeing voter registration efforts in Stanislaus County, helping register 7,000 voters (2016–2018) with volunteers and student interns. She later joined Rep. Josh Harder’s office as a district representative and immigration-focused caseworker, helping constituents with USCIS, Social Security, IRS, and pandemic-era EDD backlogs. She emphasized organizing for immigrant rights, racial justice, and local civic engagement—arguing that change takes participation, especially in local elections.

31 OCT

WHAT OFFICIALS DO

Sue Zwahlen, Chris Ricci, Vito Chiesa

Mayor of Modesto; Modesto City Council; County Supervisor

In this panel, Prof. Kerri Stephens questioned local officials on what they do and how they began public service.

Current Series: Redrawing Freedom

Join us for our Spring 2026 lecture series exploring free speech, capitalism, due process, and belonging in contemporary America.

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